Chapter 74 Applying Pressure

She called upon the depths of hell like Gaia.

The Tartarus Abyss is a twisted darkness where time stands still. Most of the beings imprisoned here cannot see each other or recognize themselves, and can only suffer in the face of the unknown and fear day after day.

This is the region under Hecate's jurisdiction, and because Tartarus is close to her, she can control it at will.

Even though there was clearly nothing there to the naked eye, Hermes was able to use her ability to recognize all living things in the world to spot the Titans and monsters imprisoned there.

"Hahahaha! Let me out! Those damned Olympian brats! Once I get out, I'll slaughter them all!"

"I curse those lowly bastards who dare to look down on us! I curse Zeus and Hades, and all those other disgusting creatures! They will one day end up in this wretched place!"

“Shut up, Iapetus! If it weren’t for your stupidity and those three two-faced sons of yours, would we have ended up like this?”

"Perses, you're such a nuisance! And what makes you think you're any better? Isn't that bastard you had with Asteria even more disgusting?!"

“Oh no, are we really going to be trapped here forever? I don’t even know where you are, I’ve almost forgotten what you look like, my dear brothers and sisters…”

"No, no, waaaaah... I don't want to stay here anymore! Please, Mother Goddess, have mercy and save us! I really can't stand it here anymore..."

"You bunch of noisy bastards who do nothing but make a racket all day long. Do you even deserve to be gods? Your mental fortitude is worse than that of us monsters."

“I support you, Echidna. By the way—why hasn’t your husband returned yet?”

"..."

They were laughing wildly, cursing, sobbing quietly, wailing, and even chatting amongst themselves. It seemed that everyone had gone mad in their eternal despair.

Among them, the ones who attracted Hermes' attention the most were the former god-king Cronus, the serpent-woman Echidna, and the mermaid prince Triton.

Wait, what's Triton doing here?

Hermes lunged forward in surprise, but from the perspective of Apollo and Typhon behind her, there was nothing in the direction she lunged.

But she clearly seemed to have grasped something with her own hands.

"How did you end up locked up here? My dear friend!" Hermes stared at the mermaid prince imprisoned in a cage before her, with other cages nearby. "Good heavens, what have you done wrong? How could you have done something wrong?"

Triton never expected to meet Hermes here.

He raised his eyes, but could see nothing in the endless darkness, yet he could feel her beside him.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, it was my father who was wrong.” Triton didn’t say much more. “How did you end up here?”

And, you can even see me...

Hermes didn't know where to begin with Triton. She gripped her scepter tightly, the two serpent spirits coiled around it seeming to be asleep; they had been reluctant to move since meeting Typhoon.

【Mother……】

Because they themselves belonged to Hermes, Apistone and Tokei used her abilities to see the most heinous criminals in this abyss of hell, including their mother Echidna.

However, Echidna could not see these intruders, not even her husband.

At that moment, Cronus, who was not far away, impatiently interrupted Perses's angry roars and complaints, and raised his chin in the direction of the intruders.

Only the more powerful Cronus could see these fools—even in Tartarus, which had been transformed by Hecate.

"Hello, you little brats from Olympus," the former king of the gods said bluntly. "You lot aren't here to see me, are you?"

Hermes shifted her gaze from Triton to Cronus.

Cronus was the father of Zeus and other gods. He had blond hair and blue eyes and looked about 70% like Zeus, but his features were more sharp and cold.

“Yes, dear grandfather,” Hermes replied. “This is a very important matter.”

Meanwhile, Apollo and Typhon realized that Hermes had stopped talking to Triton and was now communicating with Cronus instead.

"Ha." Cronus had already recognized these guys, and a smirk appeared on his lips. "How interesting. Could it be that Zeus, that cunning little rascal, sent you again?"

"Yes, and Athena and Hera too."

Hermes, without any scruples, revealed Athena, as well as Hera, whom she suspected.

After Apollo revealed the truth to her, she already knew what had happened, so she was now testing the former king of the gods.

“Oh, Hera, I remember that child. She was a wicked girl whose abilities rivaled Zeus’s,” Cronus continued casually. “But… Athena? Her mother is Metis, isn’t she? Ha, another family of the Oceanids!”

Hermes frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Don't be offended, I've lived too long and been locked up here for too long, so I have to vent my frustrations."

"...Please do as you wish. But we have other important business to attend to. Since you can see me, you should be able to see them as well."

"Yes, hahaha, you guys have added fun to my boring life!"

Hermes wanted to ask Cronus about Gaia and Hera, but he kept rambling on about other things, repeatedly interrupting her as she was trying to organize her thoughts, which annoyed her.

But she felt that Cronus must know more secrets, so she had no choice but to tolerate him.

"Another old geezer!" she gritted her teeth.

Apollo gazed silently at Hermes, his mind racing with thoughts.

He thought that perhaps the end was approaching, and success or failure depended solely on her own attitude.

Will Hermes respond to Gaia's expectations? Will she become the new God-King supported by him? All of this is a test that Gaia has given to Hermes.

Typhoeos had obviously thought of this as well, and went directly to Hermes' side.

"Are you talking to that old bastard?" Typhuos seemed hostile to Cronus. He didn't bother with Echidna, for his wife wasn't the most important thing. "Help me deliver a message to him that he too has been deceived by his mother, and that he should no longer trust her or serve her."

"..." Hermes paused for a moment, "The goddess Gaia also...?"

Hermes knew what was going on.

If her guess is correct, Gaia promised both Typhoon and Cronus that she would make it king, and therefore they both wanted to overthrow Zeus's rule and destroy the newly born Olympian gods.

Is this also a trial Gaia is giving her? Because Apollo said that Gaia wants to destroy everything.

Doesn't that mean... this goddess who always stays behind the scenes intends to create a new order?

Suddenly, the snake spirits coiled around the scepter seemed to sense something and moved slightly, while Hermes felt her heart dangling in mid-air, accompanied by a dense, stinging sensation.

This means that Gaia is putting pressure on her again.

Hermes.

...

Hermes.

……No.

"Hermes, my dear child."

"come to me."

Hermes suddenly realized—it was Gaia calling her, even though she was now on the Tree of Life on Crete, not in the abyss of hell here.

She didn't need to go there to look for her at all; she was right beside her, even inside her body!

Gaia planted her seed within Hermes from the very beginning, as if her consciousness had parasitized her body.

"I will support you to become the new king, and you will rule the new world I have created."

Hermes tried desperately to use her divine power to dispel the voice that kept echoing in her mind. She had to break free from the control of the Earth Mother Gaia, or she would no longer be herself!

However, Typhoeus was unable to do this entirely.

Because the divine powers of Hermes and Typhoons all originated from Gaia.

At this moment, Apollo finally made a move. He stepped forward to support Hermes' swaying body. He sensed that she was doing her best to resist Gaia, so he used his divine power to help her.

The God of Light will always stand by her side, even if he is attacked and retaliated against by Gaia.

He once witnessed Hermes' birth and saw through Gaia's conspiracy; now he will fight alongside the love of his life and face their future destiny together.

"Hermes... calm down, little genius."

"Ahhh...no..."

"You absolutely cannot let all your previous efforts go to waste!"

"Ouch... Ouch..."

Hermes' face grew paler and paler. She felt as if a violent storm was raging within her, and she was increasingly unable to control this powerful force of nature.

Seeing this scene, Typhoeos appeared unmoved, but in reality, he was deeply terrified.

"How could this happen? This wasn't what we expected! How could Mother suddenly..."

Why would she suddenly want to take over Hermes' body and control everything with her own consciousness?

Is she trying to drive the child she created to the brink of death?

Does she really love us?

No, she is truly too powerful; even Tartarus is at her beck and call.

If we really dare to defy her, then—

Typhon was suddenly filled with panic, and an overwhelming fear welled up inside him.

Despite his strong desire to break free from the shackles of fate, after feeling the immense pressure from the Mother Goddess, he even began to doubt whether his choice to cooperate with Zeus was inappropriate.

What purpose do they serve here?

Meanwhile, Triton witnessed Hermes struggling in pain and couldn't help but call out her name, wanting to rush out of the prison to save her.

"Hermes! No... Damn it, let me out!"

But Triton couldn't do it.

The imprisonment of Tartarus is terrifying.

The gods and monsters trapped here, unable to see each other, are still wailing with intense emotion.

However, Cronus sat calmly in his cage, watching the three little devils' antics as if they were a good show. He could see them and hear them.

In this endless abyss of hell, after a long period of torment, Cronus had come to a realization—he would no longer trust Gaia, but he also didn't want Zeus and Hera, those shameless little brats, to have an easy time.

So even if he could no longer ascend to the throne of the gods, Cronus would still follow Gaia's wishes and then bewitch yet another poor pawn.

“I said—my lovely granddaughter.”

Amidst this endless torment, Cronus laughed until his eyes were red, staring intently at the even more tormented embodiment of nature, Gaia's chosen daughter.

"Since they can't hear me anyway, let me be more direct, Hermes."

The goddess favored by Gaia struggled to look over, her face so similar to the former's.

They seemed about to overlap.

Cronus looked at her and laughed excitedly, "Why don't we just do as she wishes and destroy everything? You kill them all—especially those two little bastards Zeus and Hera—and then you create a new order in this world. Wouldn't that be great?"

As he spoke, Hermes suddenly froze and gradually stopped struggling.

"Why don't you become the new God-King, Hermes?"

"Don't you want to do this?"

So Hermes stopped resisting.

She gripped the scepter of two snakes tightly, and suddenly she understood.

She was unwilling to accept it, but unlike Cronus, she was powerless.

Hermes shook off Apollo's hand, his face showing shock before he realized what was happening.

In the boundless darkness and pain, Hermes smiled as always.

Tartarus, are you there?

She called upon the depths of hell like Gaia.